The number of people who are in intensive or acute care with the novel coronavirus in B.C. hit a five-week low on Friday, as the province released the latest numbers on the pandemic.
The number of people in hospital overall due to the disease dropped from 82 to 79, while the number of people in intensive care fell from 30 to 24.
Hospitalizations peaked at 149 back on April 2, with ICU patients peaking at 72 on April 6.
Meanwhile, community outbreaks linked to a prison, an Alberta resource project and several poultry processing plants contributed to the one new death and 33 new cases announced Friday.
According to the province’s latest joint statement, 133 inmates and staff at the Mission Institution have now tested positive for COVID-19, up one from Thursday.
Fifteen people linked to the Kearl Lake oilsands project in northern Alberta have tested positive, up two from Thursday. Anyone who has visited the facility in the last month and a half has been ordered to isolate for 14 days on their return to B.C.
At least 89 people linked to four poultry processing plants have also tested positive. The province reported two new cases linked to Superior Poultry in Coquitlam, while the number of cases at Vancouver’s United poultry dropped by seven.
Ongoing outbreaks at the province’s long-term care and assisted-living facilities also remained a key challenge.
There were 413 cases — 260 residents and 153 staff — in such facilities in B.C. as of Friday.
One new outbreak was identified at the Worthington Pavillion long-term care home in Abbotsford, while an outbreak at the Guildford Seniors Village in Surrey was declared over.
Seventy of B.C.’s 112 COVID-19 deaths have been linked to residential care facilities.